Charles Robert Smith III, also known as Charlie Applegate, was one of two people arrested Tuesday in connection with a fire in Melfa, Va.

Virginia State Police say he and his fiancée, Tonya Susan Bundick, both of Hopeton, Va., are suspected to be behind nearly 80 arsons that have occurred in Accomack County, Va., since November.

A check list for bail determination says Smith, 38, confessed and also that he had 31 previous felony convictions.

The scope of what he confessed to was not clear from the document.

Bundick, 40, appeared in court for arraignment Wednesday and faced a phalanx of journalists on the short walk between the jail and Accomack County General District Court.

She answered, "No comment" to media inquiries, including about whether she drove the car away from the arson scene and whether she involved her 13-year-old son in the crimes.

Bundick and Smith each were charged with one count of arson and one count of conspiracy to commit arson, but police said additional charges are probably forthcoming. Both were denied bond and remain incarcerated in the Accomack County Jail.

Smith is a former fire captain with the Tasley Volunteer Fire Company, but police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said he was not a member of any fire department in the county during the last five months.

Smith was not arraigned because he already hired an attorney, and will appear in court May 6. Upon Bundick's request, the judge appointed an attorney to represent her and set a preliminary hearing, also for May 6.

Smith dropped out of school in the 9th grade and later obtained a GED. He listed his work status as unemployed in some court documents over the years and also worked at various times at local restaurants, including his uncle's business, Ponderosa, and Pizza Hut.

His prior criminal record in Accomack County includes breaking and entering, grand larceny and forgery.

Smith pleaded guilty in 1994 to 24 counts of forgery and was sentenced to three years in prison on each count, to be served concurrently, with all time suspended on condition he enter a drug treatment program, make restitution and remain on probation for three years.

He admitted at the time he had a drug problem and took checks from the man he was living with.

A magistrate wrote at the bottom of one document in the case, "I hope he can get help for his drug habit."

Documents from that case list a previous conviction for two counts of petty larceny, for which he was sentenced to six months in jail with all but 30 days suspended.

In 1998, Smith was in court again, this time for two counts each of breaking and entering and grand larceny.

He confessed to stealing tools and selling some of them, court documents show. He and his acquaintances were on "a three-day binge" at the time, his confession says.

Smith pleaded guilty and was sentenced to one year in prison on each count, to run consecutively. The judge suspended all but time served of the four-year sentence on condition he successfully complete a detention center program, with two years of probation.

Bundick also has a prior criminal record, for a Maryland theft in 1993, according to court documents.

While Bundick and Smith are the suspects in most of the fires on Virginia's Eastern Shore, a handful of the fires appear to have been set by others, Geller said. The arsonists have targeted vacant buildings in the county, including county landmark Whispering Pines Motel. No injuries resulted from any of the fires.

The pair were taken into custody without incident shortly after midnight Tuesday after their minivan was observed in connection with the late-night fire at a vacant house on Airport Drive in Melfa.

Bundick was stopped by police about two weeks ago and charged with several minor traffic violations, according to court records. She was due to appear in traffic court in Accomac on April 17.

Bundick owns a house in Hopeton next door to the site of one of the arsons. The garage behind the house next to Bundick's was destroyed in a suspicious fire Dec. 15.

Daniel Gomez, a 19 year-old member of the local band Enjoy, lost virtually all his musical instruments, and his father lost thousands of dollars of tools in the fire. A pool table, washing machine and dryer and other items also were destroyed.

Accomack County Sheriff Todd Godwin thanked Accomack County residents for their cooperation during the course of the nearly five-month investigation, during which police received more than 1,200 tips about the arsons.

"I want to express my sincere appreciation to the residents of Accomack County," Godwin said, adding, "Our residents have been so supportive and patient throughout a very extensive and arduous process of investigating these arsons. We especially want to thank our Eastern Shore residents for all the calls and tips they have provided over the past five months related to these crimes."